1. Field of the Invention
A connector assembly for printed circuit board terminal blocks and the like includes a housing having spaced side and end walls defining a chamber, a first connector component mounted in the chamber adjacent an access opening contained in the housing walls, and second connector component displaceable externally of the housing between an engaged position adjacent and in electrical engagement with the first connector component, and a disengaged position electrically disengaged from the first component. Separating lever mean pivotally connected with the second connector component cooperate with the housing side walls to displace the second connector component from the engaged position toward the disengaged position relative to the first connector component. Locking means may be provided for locking together the connector components in the electrically engaged condition.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention relates to a stackable terminal block housing for printed circuit boards and the like designed for mounting on a mounting rail and including at least one male or female multi-contact connector component having a plurality of transversely arranged contacts.
It is known that one or more male connector strips and/or female connector component may be arranged on a printed circuit board and can be plugged together with a corresponding female connector component and/or male connector component. In particular in the design of the electronic housing as a terminal block module adapted for mounting on a mounting rail, the installation conditions are usually very constricted. In this case it is often relatively tedious to separate male and female connector strips from one another after they have been joined together.
The present invention was developed to avoid this problem by using simple design means, use being made of separating means to effect simplified disengagement of a pair of electrically connected connector components.